10 The Friendship
by Shenice
Summary: If there was something more to her friendship with Frank Hardy, would it be so wrong for Nancy to kiss him and see what happened?


_Get it together, Drew._ Nancy splashed cold water on her face in the hotel room bathroom. She had only been working on a new case with the Hardy brothers for two weeks and her heart was already turning to mush for Frank. Of course, she was in love with her boyfriend, Ned, and he with Callie, but it didn't stop the incessant thoughts every time the detective walked into the room.

As accustomed as Nancy was to ignoring her feelings when Frank was around, she couldn't help but contemplate them once she was alone. She had been attracted to Frank since they were teenagers. When they were younger, she merely considered it a harmless crush and blamed it on teenage hormones. As the years went on, the crush became something different.

Nancy walked out of the washroom and began to aimlessly pace her hotel room. How could she not respect a detective who was on her wave length? Any thought or idea that popped into her head seemed to be on track with what Frank was thinking. They could even finish each other's sentences. She simply understood Frank in his entirety. They surely had a great professional relationship.

It also didn't help that Frank was quite handsome. At 6'2" with a strong build, it was difficult not to get distracted. His brown eyes always crinkled whenever she'd say something witty and she couldn't help her insides from somersaulting any time he would rake his fingers against a loose strand of her hair. There were a few intimate moments between the two of them in the past where she could have sworn they were about to kiss, but it always seemed like something jolted them back to reality. If only she could explore her curiosity, maybe she could refocus on the job. _I want to kiss Frank Hardy._

Nancy was interrupted from her reverie by a knock at the door. She opened the door and was greeted by warm, brown eyes. Frank was standing before her, dressed in a navy crew neck sweater and dark jeans with perfectly combed hair. He was holding a tray of food.

"Morning Nancy, fancy some breakfast this morning?"

Nancy glanced down at the tray Frank was holding. It was filled with pastries, a toasted bagel, fruit, and a daisy in a small vase. She blushed at the sight of the flower.

"This is so sweet of you, Frank. Thank you. Please come in."

Frank walked in and placed the tray on the table. "I didn't want to bother you earlier in case you were sleeping, so I figured I'd bring breakfast to you."

Nancy reached for Frank in a tender hug. "This was such a lovely surprise, Frank. Thank you."

Frank was caught off guard by the gesture and found himself leaning his head against the top of Nancy's. He pulled her in closer as he chuckled against her hair, enjoying the feeling of her small frame in his arms. "If that's the reaction I get, I should bring you breakfast every morning." Frank slightly tensed, hoping Nancy wouldn't catch onto his meaning.

Nancy's heart began to race, remembering her last thought before he had entered the room. After lingering in his arms, Nancy pulled away slowly, catching a glimpse of Frank's smile. She wanted to look away, but he simply looked so handsome. She quickly found herself mimicking his expression.

 _God, is she beautiful._ Frank hoped he didn't look too goofy, considering he couldn't find the words to fill the lull in conversation.

He didn't need to. Balancing against Frank's shoulders, Nancy reached up and placed a brief kiss against his mouth. Her lips had left his before he could register what had happened. He stared back at Nancy, trying his best to remain grounded.

Ignoring her thoughts on the kiss, Nancy quickly let out a sigh before speaking. "I like working with you, Frank. And we get along so well, sometimes a little too well. I think I confuse our relationship for something more and it ends up distracting me at times. I know we are both in relationships with other people and I'm sorry if I offended you, but I guess I just had to…fact check myself, so to speak."

Frank stood in silence, impressed with Nancy's candor. He gathered his thoughts before quietly replying. "You didn't offend me, Nancy. I have wanted to kiss you for a long time."

Nancy hoped her face didn't look as red as it felt. "Well, I guess you could say we got it out of the way, then." Nancy smiled sheepishly, hoping her awkward joke would break the tension. Her confidence had dwindled significantly.

Frank took a step closer to Nancy, placing his hands on her waist. His tone was gentle as he replied, "I don't feel like we did. Would you mind if we tried that again?"

Nancy could hear her heart beating in her chest. She couldn't find the words to reply, as all of her energy was focused on the light pressure of Frank's hands against her. She hoped her look would be enough for Frank to understand her answer.

Within moments, Frank lowered his lips to Nancy's, pausing just as their noses grazed. Slowly, Nancy closed her eyes as she felt Frank's lips gently part against hers, relishing in the feel of his soft lips. The kiss was much different than the one she had given. With this kiss, Frank was taking his time.

She softly murmured against his lips, causing Frank to close the gap between their bodies. Frank snaked his arms around Nancy, leaving her tightly wound in his embrace as she instantly brought her hands through his thick hair.

The feeling was intoxicating. Now with their bodies so close, Nancy couldn't keep her hands off of him. She kissed him senselessly, losing herself in the moment. After several minutes, the two detectives slowly broke apart, breathless and slightly disheveled. They stared at one another, allowing the moment to sink in. They had finally kissed, and it was fully charged with emotion.

Nancy was the one to break the silence. "We probably shouldn't have done that."

Frank rubbed the back of his neck. "I know, but obviously it was something on both of our minds. Did you…enjoy it?"

Nancy's face was once again heating up. Cautiously, she replied, "Yes, very much so."

"I enjoyed it, too." Frank smiled weakly, a trace of guilt forming in his expression.

Nancy understood what his look meant. She let out a sigh. "We aren't being fair to Ned and Callie."

"I know, and I'm sorry that things got out of hand just now. I really care about you, Nancy."

"And I care about you, too. We need to recognize that our relationship is close, but we can't hurt the ones we love."

Frank nodded in agreement. "You're right. Are we able to move on from this and continue working together?"

"Of course. Let's just consider this a minor setback in our relationship and focus on the case to move on." Nancy stuck out her hand. "Friends?"

Frank reached for her hand for a shake. "Friends." Her delicate hand was in his grasp, the same hand that was just in his hair. Frank shook the thought from his mind. He noticed his hand was now holding hers.

"Okay, great. So, friends." Nancy's voice wavered slightly, keeping her hand laced with Frank's as she stared into his eyes.

"Right, friends." Frank found himself moving closer, bringing his other arm to her waist.

Nancy stood up on her toes, reaching for Frank's lips with her own…"

There was an abrupt knock at the door. "Housekeeping!"

Frank and Nancy jolted apart, quickly allowing some distance between them.

"Okay, great. Glad it's settled then," Nancy quickly replied to Frank, before opening the door for the maid.

"Yes, please come in. We were just leaving."


End file.
